The last PBA Philippine Cup Finals featured two organizations with a commitment to excellence, and Talk N’ Text bagged the most prestigious championship of the season for the second time in three years.
San Miguel on the other hand was relegated to a bridesmaid finish for the second tournament in a row, after also having lost to Alaska in the Fiesta conference.
With the youth of the Tropang Texters, it shouldn’t be hard to imagine that this group just ain’t done. Looking at their core, we find only Ali Peek to have been drafted in the '90s, while Alapag and Carey are the only other two guys who were born with Peek in the '70s.
The potential of this group is simply exciting, at the least. With the heroic performance of 27-year-old Ryan Reyes, the inspiring comeback of 28-year-old Kelly Williams, together with Jared Dillinger, Ranidel De Ocampo, Larry Fonacier and “The Blur" Jason Castro, who are also in their 20s, it might be safe to say that this group, if kept intact, can contend for titles for years to come.
Over at the other side, change is the only thing that has been a constant for the Beermen over the last few seasons. With the nucleus of the two Dannys (Seigle & Ildefonso), Dondon Hontiveros, Dorian Pena and the now-retired Olsen Racela, SMB had retooled their lineup over and over and over, looking for that perfect combination.
After acquiring Jay Washington (the back-to-back Best Player of the Conference awardee) as their centerpiece, the Beermen also added big names in Joseph Yeo and Denok Miranda from Sta. Lucia, Mick Penissi, Lordy Tugade and Sunday Salvacion from Barako Bull, Paul Artadi from BMEG, Alex Cabagnot from Powerade, and Arwind Santos from Air 21.
Outside of the last two names, these guys have won PBA championships, being proven winners part of their their claim to fame.
Now, whether the Beermen are done tinkering with this crew is up in the air. Your guess, as good as mine. But one thing is sure, this team was built to win. SMB has been part of the Final Four for six consecutive conferences, and have only actually missed the bus twice (’06 Fiesta, ’08 Phil Cup) in the last 13 tournaments since 2004.
Domination seems to be the name of the game. Product recognition, historical relevance, and a lasting impression might be these teams' common aim.
What if TnT boss MVP wasn’t kidding when he announced that practice was to be held the next day right at the coronation? What if he meant that the task isn’t done just yet? Now that the PBA has reverted to the three-conference format, a grand slam is once again there to dream of.
The legendary Crispa Redmanizers pulled off the season sweep twice in their heyday (’76 & ’83). San Miguel also did the feat back in ’89, while Alaska followed suit in ’96.
What did these squads have in common, but the lasting effect of their domination. I bet their loyal fans can name you every single player on their roster for the year they pulled it off — all the way down to the last guy on the bench. That’s what a grand slam gets you.
And the legend of each of those teams continues to this day. Any of the older generation will tell you: those were the glory days.
The PBA has not seen a repeat champion since Barangay Ginebra pulled it off in the 2004 transition Fiesta and the succeeding Philippine Cup. Seven different ballclubs have brought the 12 trophies home after the fact, with none of them back-to-back, nor did they successfully defend their crowns. Parity indeed… but how healthy is that condition?
Older folks will always point you to the so-called glory days of the PBA… and that would be Crispa-Toyota. Going back farther in the history of the PBA, right at its inception in 1975, the first 10 championships were actually won by either Toyota or Crispa, with those teams going head-to-head in the first six Finals. The two proud organizations actually bagged 13 of the first 15 PBA titles from 1975 to 1979. And that was before Crispa scored its 2nd three-peat in 1983.
Even before San Miguel pulled off its ‘89 trifecta, it won two of the three ‘chips the year before. Same thing with Alaska; it was in the Finals in every conference in ’95 and in two of them in ’94.
Other teams that linger in the memory of PBA fans include the “That’s Entertainment" team the Purefoods franchise came in with (and they were perennial All-Filipino threats), the Sarsi/Swift/Sunkist squad of the '90s that won four titles in seven Finals appearances from ‘91 to ’95, and of course the team that commanded undying love from the Barangay Ginebra nation, for every generation the Kings ever had.
There will never be any substitute to winning, outside of the Barangay’s loyal flock. Only the glory of winning will put any organization in the annals of history and leave it in discussions, debates, and a place in the sports loving public’s memory for years, even generations to come.
TnT and SMB have a shot. With the personnel they have, from the players to management and the coaches, the potential for the next big rivalry might just be here.
Consistency from both camps and more playoff duels will give us this dream. Mutual respect as well as animosity can also help add fuel to this budding rivalry.
Is it high time for domination? Or are we better off seeing different champions? Only time will tell, as the drama that is the Philippine Basketball Association goes on.
source: gma news
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment